Jakarta (AsiaNews) – A weekend at the cemetery, immersed in nature, to escape the chaos of the metropolis and its’ lack of green areas. That’s the latest trend being launched in the Indonesian capital by Nirwono Joga, coordinator of Jakarta Green Map.
“Other countries have been using their cemeteries as recreational areas”- Nirwono Joga tells the Jakarta Post – “I don’t see why Jakarta can’t turn some of its graveyards as public areas where people can enjoy a nice view and a calm atmosphere”. He invites his fellow citizens to overcome their fears and superstitions – characteristics of Asian societies – and to view the cemeteries’ potential as a “recreational” and “educational” place for their “due to their rich histories”.
On May 30th last – says the Jakarta Post – Nirwono took around 50 members of the Jakarta Folding Bike community on a tour of Jakarta’s cemeteries. The bikers rode the Transjakarta bus to the Karet Bivak Cemetery in Central Jakarta before continuing their trip to the Menteng Pulo war cemeteries in South Jakarta. “The Menteng Pulo cemeteries are very scenic and well-tended,” Nirwono said, “One can sit in the shade and just enjoy the view”.
The burial sites are a testimony of the nation’s history: they contain memorials for members of the Dutch army who were killed during the wars that occurred between 1945 and 1949. The Jakarta War cemetery (in the photo) contains the bodies of British and Commonwealth soldiers who also died in the 1940s.
Nirwono Joga underlines that many cemeteries are also an “historic testament” to coexistence between the faithful of different religions in the past. They all bear the principal symbols of the diverse confessions, among them, the Christian Cross the Muslim crescent moon, the Hebrew Star of David and Yin and Yang, characteristic of Taoism and Chinese Confuscionists.
“If only they could take better care of the cemetery, - concludes the environmentalist - it would probably be a good place to learn more about the country’s history”. Among the graves that should be safeguarded are “Hebrew tombs of unique value” because they show “that there were once Jewish people residing here: we can see that people in the past were probably more tolerant, after all, graves don’t lie”.